In December, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its full report on bicyclist safety. It is the independent safety agency’s first such report in 47 years. In the report, the NTSB made some important safety recommendations that could help reduce the number of bicycle accidents. The report made 22 safety recommendations aimed at bicyclists as well as state and local governments. There were some important takeaways from the report.
Increase in Bike Lanes
The report noted and recommended that an increase in bike lanes can help curb bicycle accidents. The report specifically pointed to protected bike lanes that contain a physical barrier between the cyclist and other vehicle traffic. After a surge in cyclist deaths, New York City has been promised 250 additional miles of protected bike lanes. Separated and protected bike lanes eliminate three key types of bicycle accidents: hit from behind, overtaking, and sideswipes. Bicyclists that are hit from behind have the highest fatality rates, and protected bike lanes would significantly reduce those types of accidents.
Improvement to Intersections
According to the report, 65% of bicycle accidents occur at intersections. The report recommends improvements to intersections to reduce accidents. Among the improvements suggested are clearer signage, treatments that clearly denote the right of way, medians, signals, and clear pavement markings. In addition, intersection treatments such as bicycle boxes and protected intersections can also prevent accidents.
Reduce Traffic Speeds
The report found that reducing traffic speeds can help curb the seriousness of injuries and the number of fatalities that occur in bicycle accidents. In the report, it was noted that bicycle crashes that occur on streets where the speed limit is 50 mph or above were more than five times more likely to result in a fatality or serious injury than crashes that occurred where the speed limit was 25 mph or less. New York City reduced its speed limit to 25 mph in 2014.
Contact a New York Bicycle Accident Attorney
If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident, you want an experienced personal injury attorney on your side. At Bonina & Bonina, P.C., we’ve been helping injured New Yorkers for over 50 years. Contact us online or call us at 1-888-MEDLAW1 to schedule your free consultation. Home and hospital visits are available. Se habla español.